Races
Version 2.3 To do: Not sure if the links survived the version change. Aging Age category modifiers Child: -1 size category (-2 Strength, no Dexterity bonus), -3 to all ability scores. Young Adult: sexually mature, -1 to all ability scores. This is a reduction of the penalties from Child. Adult: no modifiers. This is a reduction of the penalties from Young Adult. Middle-Aged: -1 to all physical abilities, +1 to all mental abilities. Old: '''-2 to all physical abilities, +1 to all mental abilities. '''Venerable: -3 to all physical abilities, +1 to all mental abilities. (Ability bonuses and penalties from Middle-aged to Venerable stack.) Maximum Age: When you reach this age, you die. Find (Con mod + level) x age multiplier. Add this number to the number of years it takes you to reach each age category above adult. Example: Elowin the Traitor was a high elf Mage 10 with a Constitution score of 14 (+2 modifier). She reaches middle age at 420, old age at 460, venerable age at 480 and dies at age 500. If no land speed is listed for a race, they move at 30ft. 'Beastfolk' Beastfolk are almost universally reviled by civilized folk, and not without cause. Regardless of specific subrace, they are generally prone to violence and primarily organized into barbaric tribes. Tribes will often band together under powerful warlords or shamans in order to ravage nearby civilized areas. It is said that the beastfolk were once animals, twisted into their current forms by the Three Brothers: Ashur, Kurush and Seseg. Their name is derived from their appearance: an unnatural and inconsistent blending of humanoid and animal. Excepting Urds, males usually stand about six to six and half feet tall, with females six inches to a foot shorter. They are all potentially fully bipedal, though certain specimens may have regressed into simian knuckle-walking. Beastfolk exist as distinct subraces that cannot interbreed. Hopefully. There are persistent rumors of half-beastfolk, the most prominent being the demiurge Doran One-Ear. However, as Doran encourages cooperation between beastfolk and other races, any claims to mixed heritage must be treated with extreme suspicion. Those who claim to be half-beastfolk are most commonly called 'wildmen', though 'oh gods, here it comes again' is also common. If they did exist, they could use the statistics for the applicable beastfolk race or for humans. They live only half as long as humans, reaching maturity at six or seven, with the very oldest reaching sixty. They do not age gracefully. 'Boarfolk' Hillfolk, orcs, grunters, squealers, tuskers. As ill-tempered as their namesake, orcs are a constant threat to civilization. They grow course hair both atop their head, in a thick neck ruff and along their spine, with a tufted tail not uncommon. For the most part, they lack the bristly body hair of boars. Lacking the long neck of humans, their heads usually sits directly atop their shoulders. Eyes are, well, piggish, with fanlike ears. Like their namesake, they have a snout rather than a nose. While their tusks never stop growing, their bipedal status means that they are difficult to bring to bear against opponents. Despite this, tusks are an important status symbol, with color, shape and size signifying certain traits. Skin colors appear to be greatly dependent on local mineral conditions. High concentrations of iron deposits results in red skin, copper in bright green skin, silver in black skin and lead in gray skin. In at least one case, the now-dispersed Glowaxe tribe, skin has become an olive green. Dwarves and other miners can reliably use orcs as a indicator of local ores. Hair colors are usually on the darker side of the spectrum. A few regressed specimens have tails sprouting from the base of their spines, good for little more than swatting flies. Sideburns are omnipresent, but lip and chin hair is uncommon. Boarfolk able to derive nutritional value from practically anything organic. They can digest silicates, but receive no nutrition. They commonly raise pigs, raising them for meat, milk and material. Boar-horn helms are items of great prestige, because of the incredible number needed to construct a single helm. In times of great hardship, cannibalism is not unheard of, nor is there any associated social taboo. Indeed, to eat another orc is to claim his ancestors as your own: very useful when uniting clans for war. Females enter into heat annually, making the hills into an unquiet place in the spring. More than one dwarven raid has been launched just to stop the incessant noise. Boarfolk bear live young, typically in litters of four to six. Boarfolk practice ancestor worship, the most prominent of which are the Spirits of Beyond. If they do pay homage to any deity, it is Ashur, who claims to have created them from bile and boar-hide. Some clans may practice blood-sacrifice on the altars of Kurush or Farkas, but such clans usually genocide themselves against the closest walled city. Racial Abilities: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence. Low-light vision (x2). +4 on all saves verses disease and poison. +4 on all Endurance checks. Lizardfolk Gatormen, swampfolk, scalies. Lizardfolk greatly resemble simian crocodiles. They can walk upright, but the length of their forelimbs makes knuckle-walking much more practical. They are scaled in greens and browns, though more exotic colors are not unheard of, especially among those native to the Peri isles. Their eyes are vertically slit, with yellow pupils. Males have retractable crests on top of their heads in brilliant warm colors. They are only extended for mating or ceremonial purposes. Females are larger, at six to six and a half feet, with males ranging from five and half to six feet. They have only three fingers and a thumb. Unlike the gorillas whose posture they mimic, Lizardfolk arms are capable of throwing. Their scales usually harden with age, but the runt of the clutch may never do so. They are, however, much more likely to take up the shamantic role. Lizardfolk are unusual in that no deity claims to have created them. Certain seccts of Laerosians claim that Laeros, while he was yet an aspect of Kurush, molded the Lizardfolk. They point to the skills of lizardfolk in herding giant swamp rats and cultivating native plants (the mallow plant especially). They also raise a sort of benign, semi-sentient ooze in a symbiotic relationship: the slimes are used to clean their teeth and are protected in turn. They are capable of surviving in both freshwater and saltwater, though individuals or clans may siplay a preference for one or the other. Lizardfolk flourish in mangrove forests and in river marshes, but they also live in salt marshes or on lakes. They usually dwell in simple tents made of rat-hide, but have been known to also construct mudbrick buildings, with a special fondness for ziggurauts. To whom these ziggurauts are dedicated is unknown. Lizardfolk are excellent neighbors, their reptilian blood only rousing when attacked. They trade primarily for luxury items, offering exotic swamp products in return. Racial Abilities: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. Natural weapons (bite 1d6, 2 claws 1d4). +2 on all saves verses disease and poison. +4 on all Endurance checks. +2 on all Handle Animal, Profession (farmer) and Survival checks. 'Sharkfolk' Reeffolk, Sahuagin Even more senselessly brutal than their kinfolk, sharkfolk makes both coastal cities and ocean-going trade problematic. Their neck joints are particularly flexible, able to assume and maintain both traditional forward facing and upward facing positions (so they can bite while swimming or walking). Sharkfolk knees bend outwards, and are extremely flexible, allowing them to swim by moving their legs in a side-to-side motion. They have grayish hides, made up of large numbers of tiny, sharp-edged scales. If brushed the wrong way, they can draw blood. Their eyes are large and dark. The only spot of color comes from their fins (underarm, elbow, fingers, knees, toes) which expand underwater, making them resemble some sort of brilliantly-plumaged underwater bird. These fins are usually some warm color, from yellow to red. Sharkfolk are not amphibious, and they view their raids onto land as a true test of courage, to be able to fight and plunder while holding their breath. They treat any who seek to fight in their environment with equal respect. Different varients of sharkfolk may bear live young, lay eggs, or something in-between. Generally, though, the less attention paid to the Sharkfolk breeding and birthing process, the better. Their numbers increase with greater speed than the Mer, though. Sharkfolk herd jellyfish, both for food and as poison-sources. They have been known to stampede their 'herds' through Mer positions. Sharkfolk make use of a particular type of seaweed, which they feed to local sharks to render them docile and trainable. Sharks are usually left to fend for themselves until their services are needed in a conflict. They worship Kurush, not as a god of sunlight, which is faint and unconstant under the sea, but as a god of blood. They send up billowing columns of blood to Kurush from spongy altars that are eventually stained red. Sharkfolk make most of their tools and weapons from obsidian gathered from oceanic vents, though those of lesser rank must make due with coral weapons. Sharkfolk tightly control areas where a particular variant of coral grows. This coral makes the surrounding water breathable by creatures with gills or lungs, with the feel of particularly buoyant water. It is highly sought by sailors, for obvious reasons. Racial Abilities: +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution, -1 Intelligence, -1 Wisdom. Darkvision 60ft, scent 30ft. Sharkfolk can only breathe water. Speed 30ft, Swim 60ft. Natural weapons (bite 1d6, 2 claws 1d4). +2 on all saves verses disease and poison. +2 on all Endurance checks. Spiderfolk Attercops, Deepfolk, Skitters Spiderfolk are most cunning and patient of the beastfolk. They exude a sort of chitinous plating, but rarely have a fully developed exoskeleton. It is usually gray, black or brown, occasionally with a brightly colored highlight. Only the rare specimen displays fully functional secondary arms, as opposed to the typical set of vestigial arms (the other set having fused with the legs). They frequently have multiple sets of eyes, but only regressed specimens display compound eyes. External ears are rare. They have sensitive bristles rather than hair. Spiderfolk have productive spinnerets, able to produce a wide variety of different webs. Unless specially treated (Craft alchemy DC 20; cost 30 lunas/pound), webbing will become brittle and useless after 24 hours. They are social creatures, frequenting the ceilings of vast underground caverns, or lairing deep within forests. There are rumors of a variant, scorpionfolk, supposedly the result of Varaz meddling. Said to have been abandoned by Seseg in the darkness, attercops hate the sun for taking their god to the surface. And yet, they weep at the sight of stars, Seseg's blood on display for an uncaring surface. Needless to say, they don't think much of light-dwellers. On occasion, attercops will hollow out the bodies of giant insects or arachnids and use them in raids against settlements. What attercops are religious worship the Spider Queen, who they depict as beautiful cave elf with six arms. Attercops are frequently in the service of dark elves, manufacturing cloth and serving as spies and assassins in exchange for the dark elves crafting them beautiful bodies, elegant fusions of spider and elf. Like the dark elves, spiderfolk are relentless schemers. Spiderfolk lay vast clusters of eggs, but their infant mortality rate is enormous, not in the least because spiderlings will eat their nestmates, even in the presence of other food. Racial Abilities: +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution, -1 Charisma. Darkvision 60ft. Speed 30ft, Climb speed 15ft. Natural weapons (bite 1d6, 2 claws 1d4). +2 on all saves verses disease and poison. +4 on all Craft checks involving webbing. +2 on all Endurance checks. Urd Kobolds, Skyfolk Urds are raptor-like in posture, using their short, thick tails for balance. They have flared short snout with a small horn at the end, a permanent egg tooth. They are usually colored in earth-tones: browns, russet, muddy yellow or so on. Clusters of feathers sprout from their upper limbs, either the remnants or the beginnings of wings. An Urd has a scalp full of tiny hairy feathers and alert dog-like ears. Otherwise, they are covered in tiny, relatively soft scales. Mostly hideous, all around, even from their own perspective. The Urds are renowned as masters of engineering, especially when it comes to designing and building gliders. Something in the Urdish soul has an unquenchable desire to fly. It is cruelly ironic that they craft and use items of such beauty, especially in contrast to their hideous forms. They abhor being in bondage; most would rather die than live as a slave. Urds will enter into a partnership with almost anyone, though dwarves and stone giants are the most common. Their histories claim that their bodies were created by the Naga as a servitor race, and those bodies were animated with the shattered souls of angels. It would certainly explain the Urdish desire to fly, as well as their benevolence in comparison to the rest of the beastfolk. The Urds claim that as long as one Naga abides, an Urd's soul cannot die, being reborn into a new shell. Urds lay single eggs. The females do not appear to enter heat or have regular cycles; it's not even sure if two parents are needed, or if Urdish sex and gender are linked. Their irregular birthrate has led some scholars to propose that there are a finite and small number of potential Urdish souls. Racial Abilities: +1 Constitution, +2 Intelligence. Small sized (-2 Strength, +2 Dexterity). Darkvision 90ft. +2 on all saves verses disease and poison. +2 on all Craft, Endurance and Knowledge (engineering) checks. 'Dwarf' Dwarves are hardy beings, created by Femta, the crafter and hearth goddess. Dwarves claim that they were the last race to be made, after Femta had watched the flawed creations of the other gods struggle in this world. The codes of behavior laid down by Femta, however, insist on respect to be given to one's elders, and so the dwarves do not flaunt their obvious superiority. The eccentricities of other races are often dismissed as foolishness in private, but most dwarves are at least outwardly respectful during ceremonies not their own. The ideal dwarf is as broad of shoulder as they are tall. The average dwarf is about four and a half feet tall, and few live up to the ideal. Shoulder-broadening devices, whether fluting on plate armor or fine lace on gowns, are always in style. Hair colors tend to lighten depending on current altitude, from inky black in the bowels of the earth to white-blonde on snow-capped peaks. Only those with red hair do not vary. For this reason, redheads are expected to be pillars of the community, stable as the mountains themselves. A dwarven man's beard is indicative of his married status: clean-shaven is unmarried, a moustache alone indicates only a single wife, and a mousetache and beard indicate that the dwarf has both wife and consort. Dwarven women, contrary to persistent rumors, do not, and can not, grow beards. The story does have a grain of truth in it, as female prospectors honored by the Femtan Brothers of Ore are gifted with a ceremonial beard woven of golden wire, respresentative of their marriage to their labor. Dwarves are unendingly persistent in the nature of their constructions. A dwarfhold is never finished: there is always more labor to be done. This unending work gives most dwarves a brutal work ethic, but not in the traditional human sense. Work is done by the community: if there is a new mining shaft to be done, every dwarf with a pick to their name will have a turn at it. Dwarven construction outside of dwarven lands has a reputation for being completed with amazing speed, but that is only because that construction is the only project at hand. Given the option, a dwarf will trade off between tasks, digging a shaft before breakfast, hammering out a plow before lunch, cutting a gem before dinner, and so on. Visitors to dwarven holds are almost immediately struck by the apparent insanity of dwarves. They hold elaborate duels in the calderas of active volcanoes. Cats are food items, and rare indeed is the hold without at least one set of kitten-hide armor. They compulsively stroke their beards (or tug their braids). The loss of a masterfully crafted millstone can be more traumatic than the loss of a child. Spikes that menace with smaller spikes, which menace with yet smaller spikes. Cabinets which bear multiple images of themselves graven upon them. A pervasive, irrational fear of carp. Devices which vent magma to the surface 'because it looks pretty.' And the whole history of the dwarven race is graven upon the walls, at least the parts that the carvers felt like including. Dwarven subrace divisions are primarily social in nature. Dwarves can live twice the length of humans, though few do. They mature at the same rate as humans, but their aging dramatically slows in the later part of adulthood (about thirty for a human). Very old dwarves almost invariable fall prey to a disease that transfigures them into stone. The dwarven sex ratio at birth is approximately equal, but dwarven men are more likely to die to accident or violence. When dwarven marriagable age is reached (about 40), females outnumber males 3:2. At age 80, surviving dwarven men marry a consort. Relations between dwarves and humans are not precisely uncommon, though dwarves like to pretend that human mates are just exceptionally tall and soft dwarves. Human/dwarf crossbreeds usually join communities of their follows, and are known as Hill Dwarves. They can use the statistics of either parent's race. 'Cloud' Cloud dwarves live on isolated mountain peaks, practicing their martial arts on artificial plateaus. They practice a monastic existence, consumed with strengthening their Umzamo and contemplating the deities. They favor polearms. Cloud dwarf existence is consumed with rituals, and focuses on the relationship between master and student. They will occasionally launch raids on rival martial or philosophic schools. They tend to be bronzed, and taller than their kindred who dwell at lower altitudes (~5ft). Even the weakest of them displays excellent muscle tone. Racial Abilities: +1 Dexterity, +2 Constitution Speed 25ft; never reduced due to armor or encumbrance. +2 to Combat Maneuver Bonus (CMB). +2 on all saves verses disease and poison. +2 on all Craft checks. +6 on all Craft checks involving weapons. 'Deep' Deep dwarves live in the depths of the earth. They frequently invoke codes of honor, but the codes that they live by would give most surfacers pause. Deep dwarves are especially prone to in-fighting, even at the most inopportune times. They are shorter than their surfacer kin (~4ft), and tend towards pale skin. They make extensive use of camouflage paint when trying to hide. Physically, they tend towards a lean physique, making them less attractive in the eyes of other dwarves. Racial Abilities: +2 Constitution Darkvision 90ft. Speed 25ft; never reduced due to armor or encumbrance. +2 on all saves verses disease and poison. Diplomacy is always a class skill. +2 on all Craft checks. +2 on all Diplomacy checks. Mountain Mountain dwarves are in all ways typical, dwelling in and around the base of mountains. Racial Abilities: +2 Constitution. Darkvision 60ft. Tremorsense 60ft. Regional ability: the Northern Dwarves of Sz. Dain had resist cold 5, the dwarves of the Tentacled Jungle range had +4 on saves verses effects from the Charm sphere, etc. 25ft land speed; never reduced due to armor or encumbrance. Racial Foe: +1 attack and damage verses a particular foe, as determined by your region. Common foes include beastfolk, goblinoids or giants. +2 on all saves verses disease and poison. +2 on all Craft checks. 'Elf' Elves are a race of fey-looking females. It is relatively common knowledge that there are no male elves. Slightly less common is the knowledge that gnolls were once male elves. Elves have large, almond-shaped eyes that are slightly tilted. Pureblooded elves tend to have expressive ears that stick out perpendicular to their skull, while those with more human blood tend towards simply having pointed ears. Their skin tones vary by sub-race, but they are known for their nearly luminous complexions. Elves vary greatly in height, though their general physique remains slender. They generally acknowledge the goddesses Igela and Tykanria as their makers, and Ibronka and Tyntaragi for shaping them into their current forms. The portfolios of these four goddesses- magic, secrets, beauty and love- nicely sums up how most humans view elves. Certain scholars argue, however, that elves were once human, and were twisted into their current angular shape by the Courts during the Faerie Wars, during which they fought against the Iron Lord. Scholars who advertise this opinion in front of elves are liable to be injured. Elves menstrate on a bimonthly cycle, but are considerably less fertile than human women. In a gnoll/elf pairing, female children will be elves, while male offspring are gnolls. Elves usually give birth to a single child, but twin births are not uncommon, and given special reverence due to Igela/Tykanria and Ibronka/Tyntaragi both being twins. For obvious reasons, not all elves want to mate with gnolls. Half-humans, half-elves (also called demi-elves) are very common, but they tend to integrate into human society, rather than forming their own sub-culture. Half-elves may use either parent's racial statistics. If a male has more elven blood than human, though, he is treated as a gnoll of the appropriate type. Elves can live for near half a millenia, appearing as young adults for the majority of that time. However, during this time, they don't seem to mature nearly as much as a human of similar age would. Elves have the ability to unconsciously edit their own memories, removing traumatic experiences as a defense mechanism. This has the unfortunate side effect of elves being terrible at learning from painful experiences. It should be stressed that this ability is wholly unconscious, and operates over the course of months, years and decades, not in the day to day minuteia. Cave Cave elves have very dark skin, with tones ranging from inky to deep blue to dark purple. Their eyes and hair are usually of complimentary shades. On rare occasions, a cave elf will have white-blonde hair. They are usually around 4' 9"" in height, and have a more solid physique than other elves. They live in the wilds of the Underdark, in cooperation with the cave gnolls, with whom they have a symbiotic relationship. Cave elves act act as shamans, scouts and memory-keepers, while cave gnolls supply the muscle. Semi-nomadic, they are regarded as mere nuisances by the more settled deep dwarves and dark elves. Racial Abilities: +1 Dexterity, +1 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom, +1 Charisma. Darkvision 120ft. +2 on all Observation and Survival checks. Dark Originally drawn from the other races of elves, dark elves vary widely in appearance, but tend towards the extreme contrasts in coloration: pale-skinned brunettes (High and Wood), dark-skinned redheads (Low), black-skinned blondes (Cave). Centuries of magical tinkering has given them positively divine bodies. Unlike the other races of elves, dark elves have both males and females. In the early years after the War of the Sisters, the elven servants of Tykanria and Tyntaragi used their expertise in biology and magic to re-create elven males of extreme physical perfection. But while the re-created males remained elven, the subsequent generation of males reverted into gnollish shapes. Dark elves produce new males every year, off of a variety of templates, to supply breeding stock for the next generation of females. In short, the dark elves are messed up. They exalt physical perfection, see males as disposable (but expensive), and slink through darkness and mirrors in the service of Tykanria and Tyntaragi. Betrayals are not common, but are hardly unexpected. Racial Abilities: +1 Dexterity, +1 Intelligence, +2 Charisma. Darkvision. 120ft. +2 on all Heal and Knowledge (arcana) checks. Males can either use the racial abilities presented above (the typical breeding stock), or one of the following specialized templates: Craftsman: +1 Dexterity, +1 Intelligence, +1 Charisma Darkvision 120ft. +2 on all Craft, Perform and Profession checks. Soldier: +1 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +1 Constitution Darkvision 120ft. Proficient with all weapons and armor. High High elves are even shorter than other elves, usually about three and half feet in height. They have pale skin and blonde hair, with an ashen or dirty blonde being the most common. Originally native to the Twilight Forest on the Hatalom Plains, the High Elves fled across the continent after the Twilight Forest was destroyed during the Great Orcish Invasion of 291 IA. The Great Orcish Invasion had seen the destruction of the High Gnolls, and the High elves as a distinct subrace were doomed. Racial Abilities: +1 Dexterity, +1 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom, +1 Charisma. Small sized (-2 Strength, +2 Dexterity). Low-light vision (x2). +2 on all Endurance, Observation, Stealth and Survival checks. Low Native to the Tentacled Jungle (in both incarnations), Low elves are the tallest of elves, at 5' 9". They have coppery or olive skin and nearly uniformly dark hair and eyes. Breeding with the Peri has introduced some more vibrant hair colors, most commonly red. Low elves are fighting an ongoing war with the Devourers, the masters of the Tentacled Jungle. The stakes in this war are nothing less than the bodies and souls of low elves and gnolls. The Devourers took advantage of the Gnoll curse to make the Low gnolls more vulnerable to their mind magics, and promptly enslaved the entire race, as well as no small number of low elves. It took the melding of low elf and Devourer blood to produce a hero to free even the smallest portion of the low gnolls. Racial Abilities: +1 Dexterity, +1 Charisma. Low-light vision (x2). +2 on all saves verse effects from the Charm sphere. +2 on all Endurance, Observation, Stealth and Survival checks. Wood Most wood elves, contrary to their name, dwell in human lands and cities. They have, for the most part, integrated into human culture, though they maintain their own language. The woods they have abandoned run thick with gnolls. In a few places, wood elves and gnolls live within the same domain. Such arrangements are rarely peaceful, but it does seem to enter into some sort of natural cycle, with violent raids punctuating months of tense peace. They stand around five and a half feet tall. Skin colors usually match that off the local human populace, or a slightly golden tone in the case of purebloods. Hair is usually brown, regardless of local colors. Racial Abilities: +1 Dexterity, +1 Intelligence, +1 Charisma. Low-light vision (x2). +2 on all Observation and Stealth checks. +4 on any one Craft or Perform subskill. 'Gnoll' Gnolls look like bipedal wolves. about six feet tall, complete with opposing thumbs, snout and tail. There are no female gnolls, and many know that gnolls were once male elves, before they were cursed by an unknown entity circa 0 II. Their merging with wolves has left gnolls with a very wolfish culture, concerned with who has dominance over who. When threatened from the outside, though, gnoll packs tend to be fiercely protective. Certain packs may also include male and female wolves, half-gnoll wolves and even elves. Their worldview is animalistic and simple, but most acknowledge Farkas as the god of gnolls They don't breed with humans (at least not often enough for half-gnolls to be well established), but they can and do breed with wolves, resulting in wolves that are much smarter than your average canine (called variously worgs, wargs and demi-gnolls). They can live as long as elves, but they don't have the selective memory editing that most elves are capable of. Instead, the years blur together, in a chain stretching back to the curse. Without elves around, gnolls tend to be less aggressive (though there tend to be more half-gnoll wolves around), living less in the past, and more in the moment. If they're around elves, though, they're forced to remember that they were not always gnolls. This can induce melancholy or anger, aside from what being around a pretty elf can do. 'Cave' Cave gnolls have blunter muzzles and shorter physiques than their kindred, making them appear more like mastiffs and less like wolves. Their fur is usually dark, with gray, black and dark blue all common. Red eyes are most common, followed by yellow. In the wild caverns beneath the early, a loyal ally to complement your weaknesses is valued. Cave elves are better thinkers, dark gnolls are better fighters, and they're tied together with sex. Racial Abilities: +2 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -1 Wisdom. Darkvision 60ft, scent 30ft. Natural weapons (bite 1d6, 2 claws 1d4). +2 on all Endurance, Observation and Survival checks. 'Low' Jungle gnolls had their curse compounded by certain squamous aberrations. The aberrations in question, constant foes of the jungle elves, took the death of Igela as an opportunity. They seized the moment, trying to exert magical dominance over all of the newly made gnolls. And, for the most part, they succeeded. The gnolls are pawns in a struggle between elves and aberrations, fighting for both sides. The low elves and freed gnolls are careful to remember how things were. Low gnolls usually have some sort of patterned fur, usually in grays, browns and dark greens. The odd freak with yellow and black fur isn't unheard off, either. They tend to be leaner than the average gnoll more jackel-like. More than a few bear tentacles, facial or otherwise, as a legacy of their Devourer masters. Racial Abilities: +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom. Low-light vision (x2), scent 30ft. 40ft land speed. Natural weapons (bite 1d6, 2 claws 1d4). -4 on all saves verse effects from the Charm sphere. +2 on all Deception, Endurance, Observation and Survival checks. Wood (Including High, pre-extinction) While the Wood elves have fled to human lands and cities, Wood gnolls still haunt the forests and fringes. They nurse a particular grudge against most human men. Wood gnolls are usually gray or brown, with the odd black or white pelt. They have the long lines of a hunting dog. Racial Abilities: +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution, -1 Intelligence, -1 Wisdom. Low-light vision (x2), scent 30ft. 40ft land speed. Natural weapons (bite 1d6, 2 claws 1d4). +2 on all Endurance, Observation and Survival checks. 'Goblinoid' Bred from elves and dwarves by the Fey Courts, the Goblinoids are a product of the Faerie Wars. They share certain commonalities, regardless of sub-race: they have the pointed ears of pureblooded elves, set a perpendicular angle to their skulls. They follow an almost instinctual hierarchy based on skin color. A vibrant crimson is highest, while a pale yellow is the lowest. Hair is almost universally black, while eyes span the spectrum. Hobgoblins proper have retreated into strongholds deep in the mountains, awaiting the next Faerie War. Only in !chanar is this different, where the first Faerie War still rages, and Hobgoblin bronze and !chan steel test each other. In Qen, though, hobgoblins are accorded equal rank with humans. Both goblins and bugbears are not limited to the Hobgoblin cities, but compete with orcs and dwarves for control of the mountains and hills, and lizardfolk for control of the swamps. In some places, hobgoblins have made alliances with attercops, and hold the hearts of dark forests. Even after all these centuries, goblinoids are still militarized, with hobgoblins serving as commanders and elites, bugbears as grunts and shock troops and goblins as fodder. It is not known if the various sub-races can interbreed. 'Bugbear' Demigobs Bugbears stand around nine feet tall, but most hunch to such an extent that most think them only six feet tall. They have a bear-like snout and are very nearly furred, so thick is their hair. Bugbears breed only slightly slower than humans. Racial Abilities: +3 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence. Darkvision 60ft. +2 on all saves verses disease and poison. +2 on all Endurance checks. Proficient with all arms and armor. 'Goblins' Goblins are either pathetic- individually-, dangerous- in small groups- or terrifying -in unstoppable hordes. They're barely smarter than animals, but they're hardwired to obey orders- something that more than one enemy has taken advantage of. They also serve as rations on the foot, with a wonderful zesty flavor. Goblins breed slightly faster than rabbits, but they also eat their young unless ordered not to- so scumptious! Racial Abilities: +4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -5 Intelligence, -4 Charisma. Small sized (-2 Strength, +2 Dexterity). Darkvision 60ft. +10 on all saves verses disease and poison. -4 on all saves verse effects from the Charm sphere. +4 on all Endurance and Survival checks. +2 on all Observation checks. Swarmfighting as a bonus feat. Hobgoblin Hobgoblins are the Bronze Fist of the Fey Courts, an entire race of beings of superior form and mind, soldiers from birth. They hold grudges to an extent dwarves find excessive, are honorable only so far as it suits them and are disgustingly smug about everything. Racial Abilities: +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, +1 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom, +1 Charisma. Darkvision 60ft. +2 on all saves verses disease and poison. +2 on all Endurance checks. 'Human' Humans are inclined to be diverse, and that is virtually the only defining feature that crosses the boundaries of all human sub-races. 'Conn' Conns range the full spectrum of sizes, but are inclined to be wiry. They come in two primary shades: pale and ruddy, with black, dark brown or red hair. Eyes are usually brown, and blue eyes are regarded as marking out those of weak moral fiber (too many unfortunate encounters with raiding Dhars, one expects). Conns are remarkable for their skill at nautical navigation and for their tendency to lie through their teeth at the slightest provocation. They are native to northern Argonath, but have spread from the Grand Duchy of Jharok to Aurbesk. Conns appreciate storytelling, but focus more on the story at the moment, as opposed to making the story fit together from moment to moment. They are naturally gregarious, and display a chronic inability to surrender. Racial Abilities: +1 to any two ability scores or +2 to any one ability score. Any one skill as a class skill. Typical choices include Deception or Knowledge (nature). +1 skill point per level. Bonus feat. Dhar The Dhars are a particular strain of Illians, but are even larger in size. A majority of them have blue eyes, from icy to deep blue. They are likewise mainly blond-haired, but the men are much more inclined to be shaggy. They are very much a physical race, with fierce mien and tireless muscles. They exalt physical prowess, and disdain purely intellectual pursuits. No one has ever accused a Dhar of being too bright. While they originally hail from western Berengia, Dhars and their blasted Serpentships have made landings everywhere that has a coast, and some that don't. Racial Abilities: +1 to any two ability scores or +2 to any one ability score. Any one skill as a class skill. Typical choices include Endurance or Intimidate. +1 skill point per level. Bonus feat. Huroc The Huroc are a blending of Illian, Dhar and Conn. They combine the Dhar's size and hair with the Connish coloration. Hazel eyes predominate. The Huroc only emerge as a distinct race and culture in the 9th century IA. They are zealous worshipers or Kurush, and migrate across the length of Illias to overthrow the Lovas. While their early actions resemble that of land-locked Dhars, the Huroc quickly acquire a distinguished culture, borrowing extensively from Illian and Connish rituals. They begin to disdain their Dharric barbarian roots, and seems to operate under the facade that they have always been this advanced. They might display some hints of pride, but only just barely. Racial Abilities: +1 to any two ability scores or +2 to any one ability score. Any one skill as a class skill. Typical choices include Diplomacy or Endurance. +1 skill point per level. Bonus feat. Illian Illians are generally burly types, with pale skin, dark eyes and blonde hair. Pure white hair as a natural color is not usual, and is seen as a mark of Laeros. Such persons often join the clergy. Green or hazel eyes are unusually common. Men are usually clean-shaven. Women wear their hair in braids, with more braids indicative of higher status. Illians often harken back to the old days of their race, when the Illian Empire ruled a third of the world. This has lead to an extensive courtly and military tradition. Raised from birth on stories of past glories, Illians are inclined to be somewhat headstrong and zealous, sometimes past the point of reason. Illians are native to eastern Illias (though they gave their name to the entire continent). Racial Abilities: +1 to any two ability scores or +2 to any one ability score. Any one skill as a class skill. Typical choices include Diplomacy or Knowledge (tactics). +1 skill point per level. Bonus feat. Kadashari The Kadashari are the fruits of an extensive slave trade between the Varaz and Illian Empires. Part Lovas, part Illian, they exhibit a tall, rangy look, with thick brown hair and dusky skin. Descendants of slaves, the Kadashari turned away from the uncaring gods and worship beast totems. They take on the personality traits of their chosen totem. At times, their culture seems positively orcish. Racial Abilities: +1 to any two ability scores or +2 to any one ability score. Any one skill as a class skill. Typical choices include Deception or Survival. +1 skill point per level. Bonus feat. Kotyas (extinct) Closely related to the Lovas, the Kotyas were slightly taller, and the men could actually manage to grow full beards. But the Kotyas have been all but extinct since the height of the Varaz Empire, so facial hair doesn't count for much. The Kotyas had a similar empathy with canines that the Lovas have with horses. The fact that they could change into canines helped, of course. Racial Abilities: +1 to any two ability scores or +2 to any one ability score. Any one skill as a class skill. Typical choices include Endurance or Survival. +1 skill point per level. +2 on all Endurance checks. Shapechange (canine only) Lovas The Lovas are short and compact, with thick dark hair and moderately dark skin. Rare Lovas display a golden tint to their skin. The men seem incapable of growing anything other than thin facial hair. The Lovas display an almost unnatural skill with horses, even after they cast aside their nomadic heritage. Even the Illians would grudging admit that the Lovas field the finest light cavalry in the world. The Lovas are native to northern Illias. It may be subtle, but every single Lovas is, in their own way, completely insane. More so than the normal human, at least. Racial Abilities: +1 to any two ability scores or +2 to any one ability score. Any one skill as a class skill. Typical choices include Handle Animal or Ride. +1 skill point per level. Bonus feat. Mermaid With the upper half of a woman and the lower half of a fish, Mermaids take many appearances, but are almost uniformally gorgeous. Their lower halves usually match the scales of local fish. They have gill slits across the side of their ribs, but also have functioning lungs. Their fingers are webbed, but they bear no fins. Contrary to popular shanties, there is no need for reverse mermaids. There are frequent tales (Ha!) of mermaids tending to injured sailors, and their vocal talents are literally legendary. Racial Abilities: +1 Charisma. +1 to any two ability scores or +2 to any one ability score. Low-light vision (x2). Swim speed 60ft, Land speed 10ft. Amphibious. Any one skill as a class skill. Typical choices include Heal or Swim. +1 skill point per level. +4 on all Perform checks involving vocalization (oratory, singing, storytelling, etc). Merrow The males of mermaids, Merrow are legged rather than tailed, though they sport fins on their outer calves and forearms. They also have gills along the side of their ribcage. Merrow can grow to a truly prodigeous size. The eldest Merrow are said to predate the Faerie Wars, but this of course nothing more than exaggeration. Right? Racial Abilities: +1 Strength. +1 to any two ability scores or +2 to any one ability score. Low-light vision (x2). 30ft, Swim speed 60ft. Amphibious. Any one skill as a class skill. Typical choices include Intimidate or Swim. +1 skill point per level. Peri Peri come in every size and color. Their colorations are not wholly limited to normal human colorations: blues, greens and reds all abound. The only definite thing that can be said about Peri physicality is that it will be exotic. Peri are almost legendary for their laziness; they aren't willing to make the extra effort become legends. They are native to the Peri Isles, locales rich in all manner of euphoria-inducing plants and animals. Peri are skilled in identifying these potential drugs, and sometimes they can even drudge up the effort to make them. Racial Abilities (Ethnic): +1 to any two ability scores or +2 to any one ability score. Any one skill as a class skill. Typical choices include Concentration or Knowledge (nature). +1 skill point per level. Bonus feat. Qen Qen are fairly short, with black hair and golden skin. Their eyes are also dark. Particular hairs tints can indicate a Qen's heritage: red for Fox clan, yellow for Lion clan or blue for Crane clan. They have a highly structured culture and goverment, based on the writings of earlier sages, highly resistant to change. It's worth noting that the Qen Empire was coexistant with both Varaz and Illian Empires, and has outlasted both. To call the average Qen 'conservative' is woefully inadequate. Racial Abilities: +1 to any two ability scores or +2 to any one ability score. Any one skill as a class skill. Typical choices include Diplomacy or Knowledge (history). +1 skill point per level. Bonus feat. Varaz (extinct) Originally Lovas and Kotyas spellcasters, the Varaz display similar appearances, but their skin tends towards bronzed. However, they also practiced extensive tattooing of magical sigils onto their skin. The Varaz once ruled a mighty Empire stretching across northern Illias. However, their power faded with time and Lovas rebellions, and they were nearly genocided by the Dracolich Azurebones and his Legions during the Great Orcish Invasion of 291 IA. Racial Abilities: +1 to any two ability scores or +2 to any one ability score. Any one skill as a class skill. Typical choices include Knowledge (arcana) or Spellcraft. +1 skill point per level. +2 on all Spellcraft checks. Magical Talent. !chan !chan are of moderate height, with dark brown to black skin and matching wiry hair. Their eyes are dark, but gray eyes are seen as a sign of great potential for Umzamo. They are still warring with the Hobgoblins, having never given up on the first Faerie War. They tend to think of magical practitioners as fey-touched, but that doesn't stop them from using magic against the fey. It just isn't as reliable of a weapon as cold steel. Racial Abilities: +1 to any two ability scores or +2 to any one ability score. Any one skill as a class skill. Typical choices include Knowledge (history) or Survival. +1 skill point per level. Bonus feat.